


Lauren of the Autobots

by Rangerfan58



Series: Autobot foster child [17]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 07:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11481126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerfan58/pseuds/Rangerfan58
Summary: since i never understood the ruling system of France with Wikipedia what i have down is how France's ruling system works in my story





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> since i never understood the ruling system of France with Wikipedia what i have down is how France's ruling system works in my story

well Lauren was on a plane to France to meet the new King who was really an ambassador and would only take over and lead the country if something happened to the real rulers of France. What she didn't know was that she was also going to get Musketeer training, and since they knew she was a good shot with any weapon (especially because they were using modern guns) they decided to focus on the sword side of it. Lauren was also going to check out some reports about an EDC base that was stationed in Paris and it was her first duty seeing as how she was a very unique person. Several hours later the plane finally arrived in France with nothing more serious happening than a period of heavy turbulence, and considering the time of year it was to be expected. In the Airport minutes later

*Kerenai over here*

*so are you the one assigned to pick me up?*

*yes I am*

and so they get to the EDC base and quickly find out that the reports that they were getting was because of a communication issue, the towers that were supposed to give regular updates automatically and all verbal reports were down for some strange reason and they had tried everything to fix them. Lauren easily fixed the problem with some tools and also some computer programs and gave everyone instructions on how to maintain the new programs and of course the new maintenance procedures of the communication towers. Several minutes later she was a Versailles palace where the king resided and also where the Musketeers were trained. As this was a modern day Musketeer force both men and women were welcomed into the Musketeers but there was still one requirement, two if you wanted technicalities. The requirements were you must have been in the French army for at least five years and you must live in France, Lauren was the exception to the rule because of who had raised her all her life and as such was considered an international citizen. Lauren actually had to wait a few minutes once she had arrived because the King was in a pretty important meeting about the upcoming UN general assembly, the Musketeers decided that since she had to wait she would be able to see the horses that the Musketeers used. Unfortunately many of the Musketeers were questioning why a kid was there since they had no knowledge of who Lauren was, that was due to the fact that her true identity was classified to a certain level and that did not include most of the Musketeers and most  _definitely_  didn't include the trainees

*so are all the horses that the Musketeers use kept here?*

*indeed they are*

*that's simply amazing*

several minutes later a normal palace guard came over to them

*excuse me, but the King will see you now Kerenai*

*thank you*

and so she walked through the palace and was led straight to the King's office which naturally was actually a throne room but considering that they had official government parties and also their version of congress met there frequently enough that large of an office was needed


	2. Chapter 2

*Lauren Kerenai reporting for duty your majesty*

*welcome to the Musketeers Kerenai, now then since we know you have great knowledge of guns we will focus on the swordsmanship of the Musketeers*

*your majesty I thought only the King's guard in the old days were allowed to have swords*

*ah I see why you are confused, you see in France all Musketeers had swords, plus while the Musketeers will be part of the ordinary military if need be they will mainly be sent out to guard French embassies and also the palace and where the Prime Minister also does his job*

*I understand your majesty, am I to presume that I will mainly be training this summer and doing basic guard duty at the palace once my training is complete?*

*yes and with the agreement of your country once you have completed your training should something happen and Musketeers come to your country of birth you shall be in charge of them*

*I understand your majesty*

and so Lauren trained long and hard to learn the ways of the sword and the Musketeers training her gave her the final test within a month of her starting her training, it would turn out to be the best thing that happened because the day after she was made a Musketeer she would have to obey very hard orders (what no one would know at the time was that she would be unable to complete these orders due to being taken captive, she would also be declared a deserter for several years until the truth came out). In the throne room people who had partially succeeded in a coup d'etat came for the king and had actually succeeded in killing the Musketeers in the throne room, all except one and that was because earlier in the battle that Musketeer had special orders given. Five minutes before the throne room was over taken

*Kerenai, I'm about to give you very hard orders to obey but you must*

*what is it your majesty?*

*I want you to take this document and cross the channel to England, give this to the Queen  _directly_  this document is not to leave your side, if you are about to be captured destroy it*

*but what about you your majesty?*

*I should be fine, and even if they kill me I fear that this is only the start of global domination, England  _must_  know what happened here if the world is to survive*

*but...*

*that's an order Kerenai*

she goes down to one knee like the day she arrived and gives her response

*yes your majesty*

and so she rides away form Versailles but stops atop of a hill and looks back at Paris and actually speaks in English for the first time in a while

"I'll be back I promise"

and with that she heads towards the coast of France that would lead her to the channel to get to England but she would never make it, three days into her journey she would be captured and put in the torture dungeon, fortunately she remembered her orders to destroy the document given to her by the king so they never knew why she was leaving Paris in the first place. For four long years the Musketeers not killed were placed in a prison in another location and thought that Kerenai had abandoned them when they needed her the most, mainly because several of them had seen Kerenai ride away from the palace during the battle not knowing the true reason why she had left. During that time Kerenai was physically and psychologically tortured alone, but one day several Musketeers were brought to the dungeon as well because not only were they reeking havoc in their cells but also because of overflow of prisoners. The Musketeers saw Kerenai and while she looked pretty awful they still thought she was a traitor

*we'll be back in a bit to start working on fresh meat*

and the guards left the Musketeers alone

*so  _deserter_  what are you in here for?*

*okay first of all I'm not a deserter I was given orders by the King to try and get to England to get a document to them, I suspect that document was asking for help, and second of all due to the fact that I destroyed said document per my orders they torture me on a daily basis to find out what the document was about and also because I stated early on in my captivity that I would take as much punishment for the Musketeers infractions as they would allow me to*

*wait so what some of the Musketeers saw that day was...*

*exactly it was a soldier obeying orders to get help for the country*

*sorry we doubted you Kerenai*

*it's alright you couldn't have known besides many people don't know the full story about me so it's only natural that you mistrust me to a degree*

*but you were selected as a Musketeer at seven years old*

*that's because of circumstances that you aren't aware of, but I will admit that I probably went through the training the fastest*

*yeah you learned swordsmanship in only a month, that normally takes years of practice to get that good, or if not years at least three to six months*

*well I seem to pick up on things quickly*

*what about guns should you have needed them?*

*I've been handling guns since I was five, and no you are not allowed to know why it's part of why I became a Musketeer at such a young age*

*has your hand to hand been tested?*

*yes, both here and at the nearby EDC base...or well what would have been the EDC base, I'm at level 17 training robot power last I knew, but I've probably weakened since being captured however long ago it was*

*so young, yet so strong, are you wearing prosthesis?*

*no what I have is intensive training from the age of five, and yes I have broken several bones over the years that I did get to train, for some strange reason whenever I went up against a training robot my bones learned to act like steel, naturally with how strong I've gotten I always kept control over my strength*

*wow you are simply amazing Kerenai...um before we were captured I heard rumors that you were born with a mysterious power and can use it in practically any instance, is that true?*

(sighs) *yes it's true, however these cuffs have cut off access to my powers for a long time now so I can't use them unless we somehow free ourselves*

*hm...maybe we can do the freeing part while you're chained up and then you can get back in the fight after we free you*

*escape to a nearby town?*

*naturally, but we can't reveal ourselves as the Musketeers*

*right, but maybe as we free France we get those that live in the town to take care of keeping it free, and we head back here to Paris for the final fight*

*I like the sound of that, what will be the signal that we're finally free?*

*maybe we can think of that once we get closer to that goal*

*or maybe we can simply free Paris?*

*nope don't have enough people or support*

*you mean to say you want to go to England first don't you?*

*nope, you see I know for a fact that some other Musketeers escaped our fate, so I was thinking of gathering those in the country*

*good point, okay once we free ourselves we'll do that*

and so they free themselves that very day and Lauren used her powers for the first time in years and they were  _strong_. Once they had escaped they went to the furthest town possible to free them without giving themselves away. Over the next several months they had gathered information of how long it had been, the state of the rest of the world, and also even though they never revealed themselves to be Musketeers, several people that were following them figured that they must be Musketeers if they could fight and free towns as easily as they did. And in every town once it was free if they found hidden Musketeers they asked them to join the cause of freedom, which most accepted and also looked for a civilian that did their best to fight as well


	3. Chapter 3

*can we count on you to protect your village?*

*of course you can*

*fellow Musketeers and strangers who are leading the resistance I will stay here, there are many old and sick people in this town as it was made for a hospital in a rural area, and there's also a huge orphanage here as well*

*of course you can stay and help protect the village if you so desire, you will know as soon as possible once we are free*

that was the basics of what happened with those Musketeers who decided to stay away from Paris so as to not attract trouble for the group. Not to mention those that did stay and help protect the towns had very valid reasons for doing so. Finally six months after escaping and making their way back to Paris they were in the outskirts of it

*so what will be the signal that we've won?*

they all think and then Lauren remembers something on her that they never discovered

*my bracelet, it's been hidden this entire time some how, if I take it off and raise it high into the air we've won if I drop it we've lost, agreed?*

*agreed*

and so it was a fierce battle to free Paris, especially Versailles palace, and they actually freed the imprisoned Musketeers and a few French army soldiers there as well and they quickly joined the fight and learned the truth about Kerenai. Once they found that out they doubled their efforts to help her fight. Finally though they succeeded in freeing France and as it turned out France was the only country taken over because of the announcements made by the people behind the Coup that they only wanted France. And that if they tried anything than they would be attacked as well, but all countries hoped that a resistance would rise up as soon as possible and it did, with Lauren leading the charge. Once Lauren gave the signal that France was freed she went back in front of the King and knelt in front of him like old times

*your orders your majesty?*

*I'm sure that there are still going to be pockets of resistance in the country side so I want you to lead a team of Musketeers and free the countryside, while also spreading the word of our new found freedom*

(chuckles) *your majesty the rest of the country is already free, we did that after we escaped as far as we could. But I shall indeed with the Musketeers spread the word of our freedom*

*thank you Kerenai, once that is done I shall send you home, as I am sure you have missed much school already*

*thank you your majesty, by your leave*

and so word is quickly spread of France's freedom. Of course they still had to smooth out several things upon being free so it took two more weeks before Lauren could return home at the age of eleven

*do you have your Musketeer patch?*

*and my sword, I am indeed ready to be an American Musketeer*

*just remember...*

*of course, if something happens that forces the Musketeers to come to America I am in charge of them until we get back to France*

and so she boards her plane. What not many people knew was that during the two weeks she had gotten emergency re-certification of her pilots license with only 130 hours in the flight simulator, and those hours were accumulated by working many 12 hour days and about 48 hours straight for one period of time. She promised to get officially re-certified with the proper hours as soon as she could back in America. Since she was a pilot again once she showed her passport the stewardess made sure that she knew of her status as the only other pilot on board and that she would be informed if need be. It would turn out to be the best decision Kerenai had made since her break out almost seven months earlier

"miss you're needed in the cockpit immediately"

"understood"

and so she gets to the cockpit and finds out that the captain was unconscious and the co-pilot was only just hanging on due to an oxygen mask which Kerenai quickly puts on

"what else is needed?"

"I think I'm going to pass out soon so you're going to have to fly the plane. First I need you to release the oxygen masks in the cabin"

she did so

"what do you think the problem is sir?"

"don't...know...up...to...you...now"

and with that the co-pilot passes out and Kerenai immediately gets on the radio

"mayday, mayday, mayday this is France Airlines 193 repeat this is France Airlines 193 can anyone hear me?"

"this is Santa Cruz island what's your emergency?"

"both the captain and co-pilot are unconscious and I don't know why. I have released oxygen masks in the cabin just in case"

all of a sudden though the plane starts going haywire and over an open mike they hear her doing her best to not crash

"come on, come on, work, okay these go off, got that, let's see, maybe that will work, shutting off master alarm so I can concentrate,  _turn those worthless switches off and move these switches on_ , let's see what else..."

and so they heard her talking to herself the entire time doing her best to keep the bird up. Finally though she successfully lands safely on the ground though it was a close call and everyone get's off relieved to be alive. On solid ground in the airport

"miss Kerenai I have the EDC on the phone"

"thanks, hello?...hey Fairborne, I'm fine...I see...not sure but should be soon...freak accident as far as I know...sure put him on... _listen I'm speaking cybertronian so that no one understands what I am saying, I think the plane was sabotaged...I don't know but I hope we find out...yes I'll be careful...HEY these past four and a half years without contact was NOT my fault...did you even hear the people behind the Coup?...oh I see guess that's understandable...yes Fairborne knows all about it...naturally I know my job...yes I have the patch and sword, by the way when were you going to tell me I was going to France to become a Musketeer?...I get it you were keeping me safe...oh I see does the new President know the agreement with France?...right I'll switch back to English now_...did he  _have_  to tell you that?...yes I'll be on the next available flight...don't know last I knew they were headed to the hospital...okay see you when I get home...bye"

and with that she gives the phone back and then realizes that due to the emergency she hadn't gotten a chance to eat yet so she takes the opportunity to do so after the phone conversation. During the wait to get back on a plane to America the airport was attacked and many thought that Lauren was killed due to the fact that a grenade had gone off near her and now a whole bunch of smoke was obscuring the area. The people behind the attack were people that didn't like the airport or the fact that many different countries could just come to their island, none of them realizing that the landing was due to an emergency. The people got a shock however because Lauren came out from the smoke looking fine, in fact she now had a weapon on hand that that weapon was a gun


	4. Chapter 4

"give me one good reason not to kill you right here and now"

well with Kerenai having her weapon, and power and also the local police showing up things were settled quickly and the next day Kerenai  _finally_  landed at an American airport for the first time in a little over four and a half years

"welcome home Lauren"

"it's great to be home, so your car?"

"nope, your family's car"

"which one?"

"you'll see when we go out"

and so Lauren sees Jazz but doesn't say anything until she's secured her gear

"so Jazz what's up?"

"not much, of course you got the basic debrief over the phone but essentially we've been dealing with one problem after another on Cybertron and couldn't get back to earth until just recently so until Marissa told us about what happened to France after your phone call we had no idea of what had happened to you after you left for France for Musketeer training"

"speaking of which, if you guys  _ever_ do something like that to me again I'll use my powers on you guys"

"sorry, it was actually sprung on us as well, we only just had enough time to agree to it before you went over to check out the EDC base before it was destroyed"

"how much time?"

"three hours and during the meeting our guy was in direct contact with the President of France"

"okay guess it was a bit of a surprise for you guys but as my legal guardians, aka my adoptive parents you had the right to say no"

"but we felt it would be good for you, by the way you're going to be tested soon to see which grade you should be in"

"understood, but hopefully I'll just be able to stay with my own grade"

"one can always hope"

"so anything else I should know before we get home?"

"Rodimus, Prowl, and Mirage are missing, Perceptor has some knew research that he's been working on with Wheeljack, which has precluded a lot of explosions, and everything else is same old same old"

"run that by me again, because I thought I heard you say Rodimus, Prowl and Mirage were missing"

"I did Lauren, they went missing about a month ago"

"any leads?"

"none and that has us worried"

"say Jazz, let's stop by the EDC base first, I also need to do some training against a training robot, to see how far behind I've fallen since captivity"

as it turned out she hadn't fallen as far behind as she had thought, as it turned out due to her torture sessions where she resisted her kicks were about the same level as before and her punches were at level 15. It would take three weeks for Lauren to get back up to speed but she had the time because by the time she got tested it was time for winter break so she would be joining eighth grade after the break. After winter break

"class we have a new student joining us today, this is Lauren Kerenai, now then apparently she's been away from America for a few years due to her family so please join me in welcoming her to our school"

the teachers quickly learned that she was smarter than she let on, but they also discovered that she had hidden scars, loud noises, certain videos and some of the activities done in phys ed revealed some mental scars. Since she was already showing some problems in eighth grade phys ed they decided to warn her about the hand to hand basic training she would get freshman year

"if you want we can talk to your teachers and get you exempt from that portion of the class"

(shakes her head) "no I should be fine by the time freshman year comes around, if you haven't noticed I've been doing better all the time. I just need to continue talking with a Psychiatrist about some issues I'm dealing with"

"very well, but if at any point you feel you're overwhelmed you know you have the option of telling your teacher and he'll work something out"

"I know, thanks"

and so she does indeed improve and things go smoothly for the rest of the school year. That summer she mainly spent it at home getting reacquainted with people and also getting some SEAL training that she had missed, all the other branches and Spec Ops would be done over the summers that she was with them. That fall she became a freshman and the first thing in phys ed was self defense

"now than, if at any point you feel either uncomfortable or if you feel like you hurt yourself doing something, stop and let me know so I can pull you out"

during the summer Lauren also got the much needed counseling she needed to really get past what had happened to her for four years. It helped that she  _knew_  it was for a good cause but there were the occasional nightmares that the entire family worked through. Well once she was called up in phys ed she made a request that one would think strange if you didn't know her history which this self defense teacher actually did


	5. Chapter 5

"sensei, request permission to go up against you blindfolded"

"no blindfolds Kerenai, but you and I can go at each other if you like"

and so they fight each other and it was intense. Finally though the sensei won but then posed a question that only EDC kids, as they all called themselves pretty much, recognized

"so have you retested yet?"

"nope, going to do that today, thanks to the fact I haven't fought one in over a month"

"last level?"

"eighteen"

"no wonder your punches and kicks are stronger"

"not to mention I was only going at about ¼ my real speed"

"and you're the only one that strong at such a young age"

"well, France definitely held me back but it wasn't really their fault"

"true enough, now than let's continue the lesson shall we?"

"right"

and so things were normal for the first three weeks of school and then during Algebra the trouble began. Unfortunately things were so chaotic that a lock down never happened and those that could followed the alternate plan of going to the basement. Lauren really hoped that some teachers would be in there but if not she knew she could count on the seniors to keep order. Three hours later a full count had been made and fortunately there were indeed seniors who knew to take control but also declared an emergency meeting of all students to discuss the situation

"okay, we know that we're trapped here until further notice, anyone else have any ideas?"

Lauren speaks up

"yes, now than please forgive me and the rest of the EDC kids as we make it sound like a situation report"

"noted, and as it will probably be concise probably a good idea"

"okay EDC kids here's the situation, we're stuck in one location until further notice with no means of communication correct?"

it had been decided early on that only one person would speak from the group

"correct"

"we have city wide plans should we come up with something later on?"

"yes"

"am I correct when I presume that all of you have had training intensified while I was in France?"

"yes, however due to your unique situation you have more training"

"explain"

"after the age of ten everyone who is being raised by the EDC is to be given basic training in all the main branches of the military. We are only allowed to go into more specialized training when we are the legal age to join the military officially. Like stated earlier due to your unique situation you of course have much more training than us, and it's a good thing too as it keeps you alive"

"I guess it goes without saying that your security clearances have gone up as well if you know  _that_ information regarding me"

"yes, and once again no one will have the same clearance that you do"

"okay, now here's a pretty random question, but it will make sense afterwords, how's your marksmanship training?"

"pretty basic right now, we only just starting doing it on a regular basis last year...wait I think I know what you're getting at but the results vary for each of us"

"but do you at least qualify?"

"but of course, but only the basics...very few have managed to specialize"

"besides me who has the best aim?, and when I say best I'm talking about accuracy"

"you mean like who can get either dead center or close to it the most times?"

"exactly"

only three people raised there hands

(sighs) "okay now this is for the rest of the student body, who here knows how to hunt?"

fifteen more raised their hands from the "civilian" group


	6. Chapter 6

"well it will have to do, so anyone have the map on them?"

fortunately someone did

"okay so we're here, at the school, the police, fire and hospital are in these locations, does anyone know if we can access the archery club equipment?"

"yes we can, but why do you need it?"

"you'll see, now than can someone check and see where the attackers are?"

"I'll go besides you I'm the stealthiest of the group"

"go, if you're not back in five minutes we'll presume you were captured"

"got it"

three minutes later Lauren got a report

"...plus I heard them say something about this being better than France because of a smaller operation"

that stops Lauren cold for a moment and then, she mutters something no one understood because of the language she used

" _those creeps again huh, well if I EVER get my hands on them they are going to regret coming here. Wish I had my sword on my so that they would know who I am. Ah well beggars can't be choosers_ "

once she was done with her rant they started dividing into duties and the seniors basically said that Kerenai was now in charge of the whole group

"fine, but I want you guys to help me, as seniors you have the most respect and authority without the teachers here"

"works for us, whatever you need Lauren"

"hey, I know this is a little early to ask, but is anyone besides me qualified to give shots?"

"you're thinking of flu season already aren't you?"

"you bet I am"

"well, as a diabetic I have to know how to give myself shots, I can easily transfer that to others"

"shoot, I  _knew_  I forgot something, looks like we'll have to make that fore-ray sooner than I thought"

"what about return messages and supply drops?"

Lauren looked around and then saw the answer

"no one knows about the basement windows, that will work perfectly"

"so who has first shift?"

"as leader I do, it's the safest and meanwhile the normal hunters can learn from the EDC kids the do's and dont's of the message business that we have to do"

"right"

well several hours later the police chief was informed of a message that had been left on a squad car, so he took it and was shocked at the message

_this is Lauren Kerenai to the outside world, about two hundred students managed to get to the basement but now we are in desperate need of medical supplies and to establish how often we will be sending messages to the outside world except for emergencies, please get this message to the EDC somehow, anyways we have fifty kids with diabetes and other medical issues, the next page is the list of the people and what their medical needs are, you are to drop all supplies and messages at the far left window which leads to the basement_

"hello...this is chief Strom, Fairborne I need to see you immediately, it's about the kids...we have a message"

well the next morning Kerenai looked outside the window and saw supplies and a message for her so she instantly reads it, and surprisingly it's in Cybertronian so only she could do so

_Lauren this is Optimus, we've received your message and it was decided expect for an emergency you are to report in once a month, by the way Rodimus, Prowl, and Mirage have been found, actually they had been captured and needed rescuing by Ultra Magnus, all supplies you need are right here, hopefully we've given enough to last the month, let us know a head of time so that the hospital can be ready for the sudden need of more medicine, and once you guys decide it's time we will also send you with enough vaccines to cover everyone_

once she finished she started handing out supplies and talking with the rest of the seniors about the best time to get the flu vaccines was

"so October is when we'll give the shot?"

"exactly"

"works for me, so everyone who can will give the vaccine to one another"

"though now that I think about it maybe we should do it earlier"

"no, the hospitals, doctor's offices and other locations that offer flu shots also need the vaccines"

"right, middle of October?"

"works for me"

"when will you tell them?"

"next week"

"right"

well a week later she left the message at the fire station so that they would know and she added a little extra so that they knew exactly what she wanted along with the next food package

"so they get the message?"

"yep and I requested something a little extra while I was at it"

"does it involved your time in France?"

"indeed it does" (sighs) "you know for four long years I was alone in the torture dungeon chained up and tortured every day and also believed to be a traitor to the country"

"but you're..."

"yes I am, however I was told to try and get to England and no one knew that for four long years, once there were Musketeers in the dungeon I told them the entire story. We then managed to escape, since I couldn't do that on my own"

"why not?"

"the cuffs prevented that"

"understood, so you were tortured every day?"

"yes, and I even took on punishment that the Musketeers would have gotten because of my choosing"

"that must have been a rough four years"

"yes they were, but the freeing of France over the next several months after my escape was definitely worth it"

"I'm sure it was"

one of the seniors spoke up

"why am I feeling lost?"

"because they know things about me that you don't"

"okay, now then can we  _please_ follow the delivery plan from now on?"

"yes, it's just that I requested something very private that I don't want many people to know until it's delivered here"

"understood Lauren, I hope it's good"

"oh it is trust me, because I need it to handle these creeps who already tried to take over France"

"and they succeeded remember?"

"nope that was another group"

"but the report we got earlier..."

"there were two groups trying to take over France the group here is a smaller operating group thus taking over the school first makes since to them because then they can force us to do their work and eventually get the state and even the country if they do this right"

"got it, so, when will the package come in?"

"within the next several days but I don't know the exact date"

"what exactly is in the package that you want to keep secret for as long as possible?"

"a means of fighting back when the time is right"

"well that's good news, will the people who took over the school recognize it?"

"yep and they'll also recognize me"

"by the way how did the scout know what they were saying if they were talking if French?"

"all EDC kids know at least one foreign language, and can build on that if they so choose, this student actually has family living in France so it's much better for him to know French just in case he decides to ever go off on his own during visits"

"I think I get it"

"now then come on it's time to get some sleep"

"right, we all need to be at peak performance for when it's time to start fighting back"

"exactly"

and so a few days later a message and a unique package arrived for Lauren, well the package anyways the message was for the first person in the basement to see

"hey Lauren, your package is here, and they thank us in advance for giving them some time to alert the CDC to the fact that they need more vaccines then normal. Apparently they told the CDC about the situation and they'll be ready for mid October"

"excellent, now then to show you what I specifically requested that involves France"

and so she takes the package out and starts testing the balance since she hadn't held the weapon in about a solid month and a half

"okay why do you have a sword?"

"you'll find out, was there anything else in the box?"

"just this patch"

and so she puts the patch on (the material the patch was made of was designed to fit onto any material clothes were made from) and starts feeling like a real Musketeer again. She then starts practicing for the day that she can really fight back, and also give the creeps that took over the school a bit of a scare too. Three months later in December she finally gets that chance because they made a huge mistake, they actually let down their guard. So with the help of the local police and the EDC they freed the school, just in time for the second half of the semester...well most of the semester


	7. Chapter 7

"Lauren, we've come across a problem"

"what is it?"

"Naval Academy has been training people for the Navy for year right?"

"yes, what about it?"

"well they are thinking of adding a few new defense courses, but need evaluation, and even though you are a kid we think you're the right person for the job"

"I'll be honored, does the school know that I'm coming?"

"actually they requested you. They know you'll give an unbiased opinion"

"and it starts next school semester?"

"yes, it would have been sooner but they didn't have the proper permission yet"

"understood, does this school know I'm leaving?"

"only those required to know"

"got it"

and so she goes to the academy and everyone naturally stares at her but as she is used to it, she pays no real attention to the rumors and focuses on classes. It was March when the real problem happened, things had actually been going well with the defense courses and, naturally, the older courses were doing great as well. Suddenly though on the way to lunch a problem occurred, there was a sudden attack on the academy and unfortunately it was mass chaos. Luckily she managed to get with a group that had a teacher

"does the academy have an armory?"

(pales) "yes, but it's halfway across the campus, we'll never reach it in time"

Lauren thinks about the layout of the campus and comes up with a plan

"okay, professor you of course know things about me that the rest of the cadets don't right?"

"yes, I think I know what you're referring to, it involves your birth correct?"

"even though we had no knowledge for five years, if you guys distract them I  _think_  I can get to the armory and of course without injury to myself"

"go for it, but what's the rest of the plan?"

and so Lauren reveals the whole plan and it was a good one

"so basically, while you're headed to the armory to gather more weapons and ammo, we run around campus trying to distract them from you"

"we'll also be protected by your powers to an extent and try and take enemy weapons"

"we'll also subdue them without killing them if we can, but if not we are authorized to use deadly force"

"is that the entire plan?"

"yes it is, and you've got it down to a t, I know it's not the greatest plan but it's the best one I could come up with on such a short notice...okay arranyan shields"

and so she actually manages to get to the armory and gather many of the weapons, plus as a bonus several other cadets and teachers managed to finally reach the armory so they helped distribute the weapons

"remember we want to take them alive if at all possible"

"think you can keep them in one spot using  _that_?"

"if  _that_ is what I think it is yes I can"

"shape capabilities?"

"oh yeah"

"works for us"

and so they finally managed to take care of the guys that attempted to take over the academy

"so who's calling the police?"

"guess I will, if someone will find out what happened to the guards"

"right"

and so finally things settled down and the school year finished without any more incidents. Finally for the first time since everything started in the fall Lauren was truly home

"so, how was the academy?"

"I'll have a full report written up by tomorrow, but I should let you guys know that I did have a nightmare a short time ago, but it was  _not_ the academy's fault. As you probably heard a terrorist group tried to take control of the academy and failed, unfortunately it reminded me of France"

"is that why I received a report of you aiming a gun at a superior officer?"

"um...yeah, they heard me screaming and woke me up, unfortunately I simply reacted to my dream"

"which is why you weren't charged with anything, apparently the school saw a lot of cadets being affected by the siege"

"yes, and I immediately turned in my guns so that it wouldn't happen again"

"okay, that brings up the question of just how  _many_  nightmares you had after the attack on the academy"

"at least fifteen over the rest of the semester, if I had anymore I don't remember them"

"understood Lauren, now then I'm sure you must be exhausted after having a long drive home. Get some sleep and once you're rested you can start on the report and catch up on what you've missed at school"

"got it"

and so that's exactly what she did. They didn't know that the reunion would be short lived though, a month after she finished the naval academy there was an attack on a federal building. Lauren would go in but she would,  _supposedly_  not come out. Instead while inside she would be knocked out by chloroform and a fake body would be left behind and ID as her. Several hours later in an unknown location


	8. Chapter 8

"what happened?"

"easy there, you were knocked out somehow"

she looks up to see a male in what could only be described as rags

"who are you?"

"my name is Michael, I was once a Lt. in the Corps"

"you were a Marine?"

(nods) "until my unit was attacked and I abducted"

"do you know about the rest of your unit?"

"no, and the emergency beacon I sent out that was supposed to let the EDC locate me isn't working"

"well I  _know_ that everyone else is safe"

"where were you when you were abducted?"

"in a federal building under attack"

"you can't be more than fifteen years old"

"just about yes, however I've been an EDC kid all my life"

"ah of course, and you have the training to back you up"

"exactly"

well her captures then come over and tell her that everyone thinks she's dead

"just you wait until I get out of here"

"we'll see about that"

well she would eventually escape. She would be eighteen when she escaped and she also managed to free several other prisoners, though they didn't recognize her because she had changed so much over the years of captivity

"so I say we go to the EDC and tell them of the plans that are going on right now"

"yeah and that would normally work except for the fact that there's a major flaw in this plan"

"and what would that be?"

"simple, I go any where's near an EDC base and tell them my name, I'll be arrested for impersonating someone who's dead"

"is that so?"

"yes it is, I'll be called an imposter and arrested until my identity can be proven"

"so, it's not a good idea to reveal yourself...is that what you're saying?"

"exactly"

"so how are we supposed to inform the EDC about what we've learned?"

"I don't know, if I  _did_  know I'd tell you"

well suddenly discussing how to tell the EDC what they've learned during captivity became a moot point due to the fact that they suddenly heard a cry for help

"where's that coming from?"

"let's check it out"

turned out someone had fallen into the river by accident while doing some surveillance for the city and now couldn't fight the strong current any longer. One of her fellow captives volunteered to get him

"I'll go, I may not look it but I'm actually part of the life guards in Ocean city...or I  _was_ before I was abducted"

Lauren took a second look at the water and made a decision

"I'll go with you"

"but..."

"listen you may be a life guard but I'm an EDC kid, not to mention the fact that even  _you_  would have trouble with this current, it's better to use the buddy system"

(sighs) "alright, but only if you're sure you can swim in conditions like this"

"oh, I'm sure"

"then let's do it"

and so working together they actually manage to save the person from drowning and get him back to shore

"thanks...I wasn't sure...if you would...make it"

"no...problem"

"yeah...I do this stuff all the time"

everyone finally catches their breaths and the recently freed group has no choice but to reveal themselves

"and you are?"

(sighs) "you're going to arrest me but here goes. Lt. Kerenai reporting in after who knows how long"

and just like she thought both she, and the soldier were arrested for impersonating officers

"Kerenai is  _dead_ , as is the other Lt."

"not dead, abducted and made to look like we're dead. I will  _gladly_  submit to any tests you want me to take and then I will complete my training which I have missed out on and also if need be take my GED test"

"where should we take them?"

"to the local police station"

"right"

"what about the others? I think they've declared themselves to be dead people as well"

"tell them we have some questions for them, but they aren't under arrest"

"will do"

and so everyone goes to the police station though only Lauren and the soldier are under arrest. Several hours later the soldier was released due to the fact that his prints matched and he knew a security password that his unit created for such situations as his, but Lauren was being held until the EDC could come

"so how long will I be here?"

"until the EDC can come, apparently there's some sort of code that you need to tell them"

"right, have the others told you what we found out while in captivity?"

"yes, and we've passed it on to the proper authorities"

"good"

suddenly another officer came

"someone is here to hear the code for her full identification to be known"

and so she sees Fairborne for the first time in a long while

"Fairborne, it's good to see you"

"what's the code?"

"long or short?"

"what...is...the...code?"

"delta 1 alpha 9 zulu 338209, beta, beta, delta 3, and this could go on for quite a while"

"the  _full_ code, because after all you have no idea if she just gave you part of the correct code for situations like this"

(sighs) "then how about this? " _it is me because I'm the only human who can speak cybertronian_ "

"okay that proves it, it's you"

"so when can I take the GED test?"

"today if you like"

"indeed I would"

"then I'll take you to a testing center, oh by the way once you are finished with the test the President has been informed you have a job to do"

"what's up?"

"we've lost contact with France"

"need me to go back as a Musketeer?"

"nope, we need you to go back as an EDC cadet, you will ultimately have a choice as to what you want to do but we need you to complete your training"

"understood"

well, as it would turn out they would be unable to go to France because once she got her GED, she was told to complete the other training first...which she eccelled at, through a special program. Once she completed the other training she was told to come to Washington for a very important meeting

"well best not keep the President waiting"

and so she is led to the oval office and finds out why she was told to have her Musketeer equipment with her

*Kerenai we were told you were alive*

*what's going on?*

*as we have told your President France has been taken over again*

*just perfect* "Mr. President, how long has France been invaded?"

"I'm not completely sure, but apparently it's only the start"

"what do you mean?"

"simple, we recently lost contact with England"

"great, okay I'll take the Musketeers and start thinking of a plan to take France back. Once I have a decent plan I will tell you what it is so that you can approve it"

"right, and as I understand it, you're in charge of the Musketeers while they're here?"

"yes sir"

"very well then, they will report to you and you of course report to me"

Lauren turns to the Musketeers

*we will stay here for when we are called to meet the President again, and while we wait we can make plans and I can give you a tour of the city*

once she finishes that saying she takes out her sword and the others do the same

*all for one*

*and one for all*

and with that they sheath their weapons and head out, presumably to see the sights. Five minutes later outside the White House

*now what?*

*first of all I need to double check that all of you know English*

*we all know English, it's just that I am the only one considered fluent*

*why?*

*because I have American grandparents*

"you're kidding"

"no I'm not, my grandparents Immigrated to America in their 20's on my father's side, but when dad turn 18 he decided to go to his parents home country for a visit and fell in love with France. He immigrated that fall to France and has been a French citizen since then. My mom has always lived in France and when they met up they dated for several years before actually getting married. I have always visited my grandparents during the summer so I am the best at the English language"

"and of course English is required for you to learn but everyone else will definitely have accents"

"exactly, I do as well but since I speak French the most often it's understandable"

"so we have a bilingual and a multilingual in the group, looks like we'll be the ones doing the most talking"

"yes, but we will be able to understand what is being said...for the most part"

"okay, now then, who wants to see what?"

"the Smithsonian"

"okay that works for me, but first let's peace tie these weapons"

and so that's exactly what they do, plus as an added bonus they all made sure to have permits that allowed them to have the weapons in public places. Lauren also had permits for her guns, but since she used her powers to keep the guns hidden not many people would know about them unless she went through metal detectors. About an hour into going through the Smithsonian it was decided that it was time for lunch


	9. Chapter 9

*let's get some lunch guys*

*know any good local restaurants?*

*but of course*

and so they go to the restaurant but they would be interrupted. While they were eating there was an attack on the Smithsonian, and what's more is that the attackers were the same ones that attacked France in the first place

*it's the creeps who took over France in the first place*

*so they think of starting with the nation's capital huh, well I won't let them. Come on Musketeers let's get them*

suddenly the peace ties were off due to Lauren using her powers to take them off, she also used her powers to temporarily stop their advance and also shield herself and the rest of the Musketeers from harm. Soon after they were using their swords against the enemy, who also had swords and it was a nasty fight they were in

*you will  _never_  take America if I can help it*

*oh but we will, you see there's already another team that should have killed the Secret Service by now, and you know what that means*

well they do their best to quickly finish this group off and hand them over to the local police and then Lauren tells the Musketeers that scares them deeply

*come on, there's a second team that might have already killed the President by now*

and so they rush to the White House and find a badly injured Secret Service member

"they...snuck up...from behind...there was...nothing...I could...do to...stop them"

"rest, medics should be on the way, and we Musketeers are going to do our best to save the President"

and so they eventually make it to the oval office but by then it's too late

"drat, he's definitely been captured, but might be dead"

"so now what?"

"I see if I can't get in contact with the Vice-President and tell him what's happened, he'll be in control of the country until we can confirm or deny that the President is dead"

and so she quickly calls a very complicated number that only she knew

"hello...where's the VP?...I need to speak with him immediately...I'll hold...yes this is Kerenai we have a problem...the CiC is missing possibly dead...the same people who took over France...yes the Musketeers are right here with me...three hours? I understand...yes sir I will...understood...yes sir...yes sir...bye sir"

and with that she hangs up and makes sure that the area is secure

"okay, the VP wants a meeting with us once he gets here, I am also to check on the Secret Service that was here when the attack happened and  _try_  and get a statement as to what happened here"

"why did he say three hours?"

"simple, he's halfway across the country, he thinks he's over Kansas, he was on his way to California when I called him"

"why him and not the President?"

"simple, because it was his project that he was going to go to, they need to turn the plane around, so he's about three hours away if they go faster than they normally would"

"what about fuel?"

"the pilots are good, plus it will actually help them not have as much excess fuel as they normally would"

"got it"

and so three hours later the VP was in the oval office getting official debriefs from the Musketeers

"so, let me get this straight, Kerenai is in charge of the Musketeers that are in America if they are here on business and then once in France the person who has the highest rank in the French military is in charge"

"correct"

"the guys who attacked and abducted/killed the President came from France trying to take over the country but failed to put me into the equation"

"yes sir, if you will allow we will work the the FBI and Secret Service to search for you President and confirm or deny that he is dead"

the VP looks to Kerenai for her opinion

"it's the best option in my opinion sir...but I would like to make one change"

"what is it?"

"Phillipe, you will stay here with the VP until we can confirm or deny that the President is dead. I want him  _guarded_  at all times, by both the Secret Service and us Musketeers...especially if our enemies return"

"understood Kerenai"

"but how can one Musketeer make all the difference no offense to your strategic mind Kerenai?"

"simple, he knows the enemy better than the current Secret Service members, thus he can help them make appropriate plans for your protection...should the enemy come back"

"and if everyone falls and I am killed?"

"I haven't really thought about that, but I guess you might want to inform the person who would succeed you in the case of your death and you have yet to select a VP, should the President be truly dead"

and so once everything is settled the team selected to try and save the President heads out. Six weeks later the team comes back dirty, bruised, tired and with the President, but it's instantly noticeable that there is someone missing

"where's Kerenai?"

"dead, she sacrificed herself to get me to safety, it's actually why it took an extra two weeks to get back home"

"making sure you lost the guys who captured you and killed Kerenai?"

"exactly"

"tell us what happened"


	10. Chapter 10

_two weeks ago_

"hey I do believe we've found the President and he's alive"

"excellent, so now all we do is get him out of here and back home all without getting him killed at the end of the road"

"exactly, now here's my plan the Secret Service goes to one side of the building while the Musketeers go on the other"

"are you saying we ambush them?"

"that's exactly what I'm proposing"

"works for us"

and so that's what they do and it's an intense battle. While they were escaping though some of the criminals actually came back to the camp and so they had to find a way of getting the President to safety and avoiding the new enemies. Kerenai knew then exactly what she was going to do, she dropped her personal shield and activated one in front of the group and started fighting. Unfortunately the enemy soon got the best of her and they stabbed her through the stomach, as a way of making her suffer before death. She turned to the surviving group and says one simple thing

"go, get the President to safety"

unfortunately the Musketeers, Secret Service  _and_  the President wanted to argue, it's just that a Musketeer got to say the argument first

"but..."

*that's an order Musketeers!*

"the shield will drop as soon as I'm dead, go...now"

and so the Musketeer grabs the President by the arms and says the truth

"come on Mr. President, we don't know how long she'll survive with that wound. We have our orders to get you to safety so come on"

and with that everyone leaves Kerenai behind...per her orders. It would take two weeks to get to a town and that was because they all used evasion tactics that both the Secret Service and the Musketeers were taught. Finally though they made it to civilization and quickly got a plane to DC so that the President could get back to his countries needs

_present_

"and that's basically what happened, before the attack she stated that Phillipe was to be in charge if she died"

"and we still need to free France"

"well we did come up with a plan finally, if you approve of it we will leave you be and free our country it's what Kerenai would have wanted"

"and Kerenai also would have wanted America to support France as much as possible, I will spare what I can from the reserves so that you can free your country"

"thank you your...sorry Mr. President we would be honored to serve with some of your finest soldiers"

(smiles) "I know, and I also know that you have made this plan with great care, would I presume that England is to get involved?"

"not in the way you think your majes...my apologies Mr. President, as I was saying not in the way you think, we are only to ask for safe passage through the country while we head back to France. We will make camps along the way to Paris as Kerenai would have done"

"and your mode of travel?"

"the main reason why Kerenai would have made this plan with great care sir, we French Musketeers ride horses for the most part. We are required to know how to drive cars since we are a modern Musketeer force, but when it was decided to start up the Musketeers again we went as authentic as we could"

"I see, well then I guess this is why in the list these are people she knows of that are horseman?"

"yes sir, she would have liked to have used the calvary but she knew better than that"

"I approve all of them for this mission, they will get their orders immediately. When will you leave?"

"in three days sir, that gives you time to send out your orders and let them get their affairs in order"

"very well"

and so the preparations get underway to free France with a detour through England with the Prime Ministers permission. Meanwhile Lauren Kerenai was not as dead as everyone thought. When the criminals who abducted the President thought she was dead they dumped her body into the river, not knowing that Kerenai was still alive, though only barely. She would be found down river near death and taken to the nearest hospital. They would be forced to transfer her to another hospital once she was stable however because the local hospital just couldn't provide the type of care they  _knew_  she needed. She wound up being in a coma until the very day the Musketeers and reserve soldiers left the country for England


	11. Chapter 11

"where...am...I?"

a nurse was in the room when she woke up and the nurse immediately called for a doctor. When the doctor arrived she was already back asleep but the doctor was very hopeful when he found out she had truly awakened for a brief period of time. The next time Lauren awoke the doctor was actually in the room doing his daily rounds

"where...am...I?"

"ah you're awake, you're in a hospital"

"hospital, why am I...wait I remember now, sort of"

"what do you mean by sort of?"

"um, I only remember my first name and that I was actually attacked by someone, other than that I can't really help you"

"well we'd best get the police, who knows they might be able to jog your memory some"

"let's hope...um doctor is this amnesia temporary?"

"it should be, when you came to us a little over two weeks ago you were a  _very_  sick person. We weren't sure if you would survive the night much less these past two weeks"

and so she has an interview with the police but she doesn't really remember much else besides being in the woods some wheres. Over the next two months Lauren made leaps and bounds and was finally able to watch the news. The very day the doctors allowed her to watch the news was the day after France had regained it's freedom, because while Lauren was recovering from what had happened to her (with occasional interviews with police just in case she remembered more than before) the Musketeers and several reserve soldiers fought to free France and free France they did

"...and so naturally everyone is wondering what will happen now that France has finally been freed due to a cooperation of the Musketeers, France's elite fighting force and several soldiers in the American reserves. It is good to mention that they also did fight with the French resistance when they could and they all had good things to say about the resistance. The leader of the Musketeers had this to say about the resistance"

"it was great finding out that while several of us Musketeers were in America regrouping and gaining allies, people in France decided not to wait around for rescue and took it into their own hands until we could come back with reinforcements. Once the government is back up and running I am sure that our country's leader will have a service to honor the sacrifice of everyone who fought for the freedom of France, whether they be official soldiers or not"

"that's all for now, back to you John"

"thanks Mary, now than in other news earlier today the President announced that the Secret Service in working in conjunction with the FBI have captured a group of people who had decided to abduct him and try and collapse the country a little over three over three months ago for those that had taken over France. According to the President their plans were to eventually kill him and find the Vice-President to kill and assume leadership of the nation. That plan failed when a team of Secret Service agents and several Musketeers found the President and rescued him, now than the President stated that he can't reveal everything about what happened during the rescue due to security purposes and an ongoing investigation but he did state that he was acknowledging the loss of a fine person. Her name was Lauren Kerenai and apparently she is an American citizen with special status in France because she was leading the Musketeers that rescued the President, according to the President she sacrificed her life so that everyone else could escape with the President. How she managed to hold everyone off is unclear and the President stated that is one of the things he can't reveal, however he will say that she gave the people a good fight and was worthy of the name Musketeer. This is John with MBC signing off"

well the doctor's and nurses had noticed that Lauren had stiffened at hearing the name Lauren Kerenai, what they couldn't now was that at hearing her last name Lauren had regained all her memories

"two and a half months...it's been two and a half months since that day?"

"Lauren?"

"could you get the police in here, I have some very important information I have to tell them"

"is it about your identity?"

"yes, it's also about who attacked me"

"we'll get them"

and so an hour later an officer was in Lauren's room

"so how are you doing today?"

"the doctor's said I should be out within another month which is a good thing"

"that soon?"

"yes, I heal fairly fast, I know who I am and what happened to me the day of the attack"

"I'm all ears"

"okay first of all you can't reveal what I am about to say to  _anyone_ in regards to the people who attacked me"

"why not?"

"simple, we don't want them to get off due to a technicality. Okay first of all my name, my full name is Lauren Kerenai, and yes I'm the same Lauren Kerenai that was mentioned in the news earlier, that's why you can't reveal what I'm about to say about the attack"

"you've been dead for two months at least"

"two and a half, because I was unconscious for two weeks when I arrived"

and so she tells the officer everything about the attack that she believed she could and could also think of

"now remember I haven't told you everything because of how dangerous that information is, and until the full report is finished and published you can't reveal what I've told you due to it being classified"

"well can we at least call the right authorities and tell them that you're alive?"

"yes you can, and can you explain that I had amnesia, otherwise I wouldn't have made people believe I was dead for so long"

three weeks later she got a letter requesting her to come to DC once she was discharged from the hospital. She naturally understood why it was needed, after all she had to debrief not only the President but several other people as well. She would also get the story on the freedom of France while in DC though she didn't know that yet

"so what's in the letter?"

"it's essentially instructions for when I am discharged"

"have you made any plans after you follow your instructions?"

Lauren thinks for a minute and then realizes that she really hadn't made any plans after she got her GED


	12. Chapter 12

"um, actually I don't have any plans"

"then maybe once you're finished with your task you can take a break and actually think of what you want to do with your future"

"good point"

and so she finally is released and heads to DC. She would not make it in one trip however due to the fact that the plane suffered engine failure thanks to a bird strike. Fortunately the pilot managed to get the plane safely back on the ground

"thank goodness, now than, how are we supposed to go to our destinations?"

"well it looks like there are too many birds out so flights are canceled. We will be informed once we can actually get on a plane again"

"canceled due to birds, this is certainly an amusing day. I can't  _wait_  to tell that story to others"

"why have geese stopped the planes?"

"simple, if those birds get into the engines you have loss of power and have to go down, hopefully in a safe landing, but that's not frequent enough I'm afraid"

"how long will we be stuck here?"

"no idea, though, now that I think of it this many birds is unusual...I think we may have a problem"

she quickly gets to a public computer and does some research. Once the basic research is done she checks weather patterns and also checks in with both the local police and military to see if they had detected any strange signals while communicating on radios

"just why do you want to know this Kerenai?"

"because I think something caused the birds to come here and then stay in the first place. Why else would there be so many birds in one area of air space that planes are at risk of bird strikes and can't take off, or they have to do emergency landings. The air space is being shut down by the FAA little by little guys, you know that eventually America will be declared a no fly zone and then what happens to our economy? I know for a  _fact_ that you simply can't bring some things in by boat"

(sighs) "you're right, it would be like 9/11 all over again with airplanes except this time it won't be because of terrorists, but birds"

well she soon found out why this was happening and made a choice. One that she knew would ultimately seal her fate if she were ever caught, thus she explained herself in a letter to Marissa Fairborne who was forced to do as she was told (even if she didn't like it)

" _Marissa, it's Lauren, I know this is going to be hard for you to understand much less tell my family but I am going to become an outlaw...and yes I do mean like the legend of Robin Hood. You see I have discovered some very disturbing facts that I can't reveal to you for your safety, I want you to know that I only made this decision after thinking every option over. If we ever meet from here on out we will be enemies and I expect you to arrest me as an outlaw. Tell my family that I love them but I must do this, also tell them that they are under the same constraints as you are, though if I ever get the opportunity once I am captured I will tell them what is really going on. One final thing, I don't expect to have any followers so if I do, you will know and you are to arrest them as well, hopefully if you do you can find out if I am okay or not. Again do everything you would against a normal criminal and...I'm sorry signed Lauren Kerenai, Lauren of the (symbol of the Autobots drawn here)_ "

after she finished reading the letter she went to the command room and gave out a very hard order for her to give out, but one she knew she had to give

"send out an order to all EDC officers arrest Lauren Kerenai on sight, I repeat arrest Lauren Kerenai on sight"

"captain?"

"just do it"

"yes sir"

well half way across the world the Musketeers heard the order given by the EDC to arrest Kerenai on sight

*what has Kerenai done to be arrested on sight?*

*no one knows all the EDC knows is that it's an order*

*should we try and find her?*

(shakes their head) *not yet, if we find out why they have that order and only if will we do something, depending on what we find out*

they quickly find out that she was now an outlaw fighting against her own government

*this is crazy Kerenai would never do that without a reason*

*unfortunately it is what it is*

(sighs) *you're right, I guess that means we stick to our job?*

*exactly*

and so the Musketeers stay out of it. Meanwhile in America Lauren was quite annoying to the federal government because she simply knew  _too much_

"why can't we catch her?"

"easy sir she knows our tactics"

"then maybe we should change them and hopefully catch her that ways"

and so for the next seven years it was a constant battle between Lauren and the federal government. In that time period Lauren actually managed to gather allies, not many but some and all of them were federal agents who would have been killed without her intervention...or at least Lauren  _thought_  they were all federal agents who would have been killed without her intervention. What Lauren didn't know was that the true President had survived the assassination attempt by switching places with a Secret Service agent to survive (the Secret Service agent had forced the President to do so). All weapons were modern weapons except for one specific quirk that she had thought of early on. Before she had been joined by the President and the other agents no one knew that she had almost been captured once. After she had escaped she realized she needed a different weapon to announce her presence without a doubt that  _wouldn't_  end up getting her caught. So what she did was think back to the Robin Hood legends of old and whenever she had to free a prisoner or leave a message for the government she used a bow and arrow

_the day she was almost captured_

"hold it right there"

Kerenai brought out a gun and was ready to use it and fight when she found out that she was outnumbered

"state your name and business"

(sighs) "my name is Lauren Kerenai and I'm here to leave a message, food and money for the people"

"you are under arrest"

"not today boys"

and so she uses a smoke bomb to escape. Soon after she was polishing her bow and arrow skills

_present_

"so boss, what's on the agenda today?"

"well, we have a long trip ahead of us actually"

"oh?"

"yes, a spy within the local EDC branch has told me that our "President" is holding a huge rally at the White House in three weeks. It's going to take at least two and a half to get to DC the way we travel and a few more days to get everything in order to make him look like a fool"

"what's the rally for? I know you want to go but what if it's another trap?"

"it's a secretive rally apparently, and I know this could be a trap, we've only almost been killed by them what...a hundred times in the past seven or so years?"

"valid point"

and so the group finally makes it to DC, but they were missing a very key member of the group. Lauren had yet again sacrificed herself for her group, so that they might reek havoc on the "President" as part of the plan to free America from tyranny, even if it would take longer than most thought due to not much support or knowledge of why they were outlaws. Finally it was time to disrupt the rally, in the middle of the "President's" speech he was suddenly stopped by a voice declaring that everything he said was a lie


	13. Chapter 13

"how  _dare_ you accuse your President of lying"

"easy,  _you_  are no President, you have lied to the people for years and have declared yourself a king, when you know that we elect our President's. I say that you have killed the true President ages ago and took his title"

"arrest them"

and so things got a little crazy and then the group was captured

"well now, you have been a thorn in my side for long enough, your sentence...immediate execution by firing squad"

well the police got ready to shoot the outlaws when suddenly they were stopped by a single arrow, one that no one expected

"I don't think so  _President_  you will not kill these people. Hey gang sorry I'm late to the party, I would have come sooner but you know, stomach wounds tend to hate me. Especially when they're in the same area as last time if only slightly shallower"

(venomously) "Kerenai, I should have killed you while you were still in the hospital seven years ago, right after I killed your precious  _President_  with my own hands. I should have destroyed your family sooner too, seeing as how the EDC and Autobots stopped listening to me five years ago. I only succeeded in destroying the Autobots, but the EDC will fall soon enough, and last I heard you thought the Autobots and EDC as your family" (in a proud voice) "I am the ruler of this country and nothing you do can stop me!"

" _Murderer_ , you will fall one day you creep, and by the way there's something you don't know. I know you've received reports of my being captured almost constantly by the EDC while they were under your control but I always escaped, what you don't know is that I  _requested_  to be treated by ordinary criminals. I knew that under ordinary circumstances the EDC would never arrest me because I might have a valid reason to become an outlaw, which I do, so I sent a letter to Captain Marissa Fairborne and asked her to treat me like a common criminal, to have the EDC treat me like they would criminals. And one more thing, France should know about how you were part of the take over several years ago by now and they will declare war on America. I did however leave instructions that if you left office and allowed America to choose it's own leader again that they should not attack"

"and why would the France listen to a word you say? You're just an outlaw, and even if you weren't you're just an ordinary civilian"

(smirks) "actually that's where you're wrong, due to special circumstances I am the  _only American_  Musketeer and as such they will listen to me. Especially because I explained in the letter why I became an outlaw in the first place"

"oh and why's that?"

"you, you see seven years ago I was actually on my way here to get debriefed on how France was freed when the plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a bird strike. I did my research and found out that a frequency was being let out throughout the country that was making the birds flock to large cities, and further. They were stopping the planes from flying, I also discovered your little group planning an attack on Washington, which did happen"

"so you became an outlaw to oppose me, and five years ago the EDC decided to start fighting back as well. Though I will admit they do need to fall it can happen after I have my own group in place"

"then prepare for war, trust me what I've done over the last seven years is child's play compared to the real thing"

"so be it, I'll defeat France  _and_  you over time, just you wait I can fight a two front war I will..."

suddenly though he falls dead and the culprit was one of Lauren's gang

"John why did you just kill him? I would think that he would go to trial first, that is if France won the war before we did"

"sorry Lauren, but I couldn't allow him to rule  _my_ people any longer"

"what are you talking about?"

"simple I'm the President, you see that day seven years ago a Secret Service agent took my place so that I could escape. He was rather forceful about it too, once I knew he was dead the first thing I did was get out of the city lest he find out that I wasn't really dead. After that I simply traveled around trying to do my best fighting against his tyranny. As you know I joined you a year into your fight against the federal government and have been fighting along side you ever since. Didn't you wonder how I knew everything I did about France's freedom?"

"well sort of but I figured that the President had guards in there when he found out himself"

"nope, it is because I'm the President"

"well then Mr. President I think you had better get in contact with France and tell them everything that has happened here today"

"agreed, I also think that we should reestablish the proper government as soon as possible and select a new President. I may have still had a year left in my term but the country deserves a fresh start"

"at least stay on until the new government is established but first..."

suddenly she snaps her fingers and then uses her free hand, acting like she's inflating a ball, and then throws it into the sky where a cloaked ships is revealed

"I take care of some unwanted guests"

and so she starts fighting against the Decepticons and wins, but at a price. Once she finishes the battle she clutches where her stomach wound is and starts coughing up blood and lots of it

"Lauren!"

she collapses and is rolled onto her side so that she could breath better

"hold on Lauren, just hold on"

"I...can't...Mr...President...te...tell Fairborne...my...sword and badge...are in...main house...tell her to...return...it...to...France"

"will she know what you mean by main house?"

"yes...sorry...I...couldn't serve...you...be...tter"

with those final words she dies. The President would quickly make peace with France, and when it came time to sign a new peace treaty he personally returned her sword and badge to France, where it would stay in a museum for years to come. Once the new government was in place the President retired as promised once a new President was selected and caught up. The rest of the gang was offered positions in many federal agencies but they all ultimately chose to serve in the FBI and Secret Service depending on their preference and skills. Both agencies made an exception for those agents so that they could still have bows and arrows as part of their equipment, which sometimes came in handy when dealing with criminals. Eventually they all retired with honors, though they were occasionally thought as traitors due to orders as they also served the President whenever called. One thing over the years and especially in retirement that never changed was that once a year, on the anniversary of Lauren's death they would all meet in DC to remember both her and the battle they had fought to free America, the battle that ultimately claimed Lauren's life


End file.
